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1968 Summer Olympics
See also: 1968 Summer Paralympics[?]
The Games of the XIX Olympiad were held in 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico. Mexico beat Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyons to host the Games.
Summer Olympics
The Games of the XIX Olympiad were held in 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico. Mexico beat Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyons to host the Games.
| Games of the XIX Olympiad | |
| Nations participating | 112 |
| Athletes participating | 5,530 (4,750 men, 780 women) |
| Events | 172 in 20 sports |
| Opening ceremonies | October 12, 1968 |
| Closing ceremonies | October 27, 1968 |
| Officially opened by | Gustavo Diaz Orda[?] |
| Athlete's Oath | Pablo Garrido[?] |
| Judge's Oath: | - |
| Olympic Torch | Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo[?] |
|
- Because of the high altitude of Mexico City, many endurance athletes had trouble coping with the thin air.
- For the first time, athletes from East and West Germany take part in separate teams, after having competed in a combined team up to 1964.
- US discus thrower Al Oerter[?], wins his fourth consecutive gold medal in the event to become only the second athlete to achieve this in an individual event.
- Bob Beamon[?] jumps 8.90 m in the long jump, a 55 cm improvement of the World Record that would stand until 1991.
- Dick Fosbury[?] wins the gold medal in the high jump using the radical Fosbury flop[?] technique, which quickly became the dominant technique in the event.
- In the medal award ceremony, black American athletes Tommy Smith[?] and John Carlos[?] raise their black-gloved fists as a symbol of "Black Power". They are expelled by the US National Olymic Committee.
- Czechoslovakian gymnast Věra Čáslavská wins the hearts of the Mexican crowd and four gold medals.
- American swimmer Debby Meyer[?] wins the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle events.
- The introduction of doping tests results in the first disqualification because of doping: Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall is disqualified for alcohol use.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
- Athletics[?]
- Basketball
- Boxing[?]
- Canoeing[?]
- Cycling[?]
- Diving[?]
- Equestrianism[?]
- Fencing[?]
- Football[?]
- Gymnastics[?]
- Hockey[?]
- Modern Pentathlon[?]
- Rowing[?]
- Shooting[?]
- Swimming[?]
- Volleyball[?]
- Water Polo[?]
- Weightlifting[?]
- Wrestling[?]
- Yachting[?]
| Pos | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
Internal Links
- Olympic Games
- Summer Olympic Games
- International Olympic Committee
- WikiProject Sports Olympics
- IOC country codes
External Links
- IOC Site on 1968 Summer Olympics (http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1968)
Bibliography
Summer Olympics
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1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010
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